The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) in Uganda has announced the outbreak of a banana disease, Anthracnose, currently plaguing the Ntungamo and Kabarole districts in the country.
According to MAAIF, Anthracnose is a group of diseases that cause dark, sunken lesions on fruits which ultimately dries up fruit plants.
Stephen Byantwale, the commissioner of crop protection at MAAIF, said the disease, although dangerous, was not comparable to banana wilt.
A report by the Global Post said Uganda produced 8.45 million tons of bananas annually and was second only to India in terms of worldwide production of the fruit.
“Ugandan bananas are not often exported because of the short shelf life of the fruit, and Uganda’s distance from markets in the developed world,” according tothe publication.
It is not yet certain whether Uganda, a net consumer of the fruit, will have to import bananas because of the anticipated shortfall. – Zoë van Rooyen
